I have (2) diesel stations around me which one is a SPEEDWAY and the other CITGO. I usually go to SPEEDWAY b/c im building those reward points. So this is my example:

Say I have 50 Miles---------->0 on the overhead and I put $10 in, it will then probably say like 125 or somthing. The speedway is about 10 miles away. I get home and it reads 105. Next morning I start up and its still at 105, I drove in town which is about 5 miles and 5 miles back, I get home and it reads 77. Absolutly insane, so the $10 is pretty much down the drain. So now my question is, is it that SPEEDWAY sucks or what should I do, go to CITGO?

 

I would not use the overhead MPG or DTE indicator to measure diesel fuel efficiency, they are not all that reliable. Even if you were to run a full tank of each brand and hand calculate one brand against another there are just too many variables (driving style, stop light timing, traffic conditions, wind, temp, etc. etc.) to conduct a controlled test.

I think the best indicator of diesel fuel performance would be the cetane rating from one brand to another.

 

I think its 45 at SPEEDWAY

 

how come the pumps dont have the rating like gas pumps?

 

I definitly know that I don't get the mileage on "generic convienence store" fuel as I do on a major brand like Texaco, Shell or Amoco. Also I am pretty convinced that two additives more than pay for themselves, about a pint to a qt of Diesel Kleen and a pint to a quart of cheap WallyWorld 2 cycle TCW oil.

 

Never seen one that doesnt have a rating sticker.

 

Not sure about your location , but in other areas that I am familier with , more often than not , the fuel is coming from the same spout as the competiters , just the brand name has additives added at the time of filling the tanker truck, having had a couple of repair shops that were part of the fuel buis. and many conversations with drivers , thats the way its done - one refinery in the area / many brands .
Anouther biggy is the condition of the tanks at the retail spot .

 

I filled up ONCE at Speedway. Not only is the guy usually way overpriced compared to everyone else, but the diesel sucks bad! I got the worst mileage on that tank ever! Unless I'm traveling somewhere, I fill up at the same BP all the time and I've been getting great mileage from there!


Tony

 

Generally, if the particular state doesn't require posted cetane ratings, don't expect to see them.

Returning from Nashville to Houston towing our 5th wheel a few years ago, I filled up with diesel near the RV park where we were staying. On the run from Nashville to Memphis, the combustion clatter was so loud that my wife and I couldn't even carry on a conversation (not that that's necessarily a bad thing! ). After fueling up at the Flying J in West Memphis, Arkansas, the engine quieted down within a couple of miles back on the Interstate. So, yes, fuel quality certainly can make a noticeable difference!

Rusty

 

I go to the same stations every time im in town. One has 42 cetane, and my mileage is considerably lower then the competitors higher cetane fuel (I can't remember the cetane rating). I run the same amount of additives every tank, and IMHO cetane ratings really do make a noticable difference